the traveller & her thoughts: SANTO DOMINGO CHURCH

I came here a day after my interview in Metro Manila, to thank the Lord for the wondrous blessings and bountiful graces this year. Upon arriving, I was highly interested with its architecture and mostly, by this “Help restore our pipe organ” project ad I saw on one of the church’s corners.

After praying, I did a self-tour through its confines and marveled more of this peaceful sanctuary. And to make an effort, I translated some information from this stone tab I noticed hanging on the wall. (I'm not really an A+ in translation, so sorry if I mistranslated any words. But hey, I tried my very best!)

This church was formerly a wooden-made chapel built by the first Dominican missionaries under the supervision of Bishop Domingo de Salazar, O.P., in Intramuros, Manila; and was inaugurated in January 1, 1588. In 1589, it collapsed and then reconstructed using concrete, along with the construction of Padre Alonso Jimenez’ convent, O.P. in 1592, and in 1953, venerated the miraculous “Our lady of the Rosary” or “La Naval”.

*while reading the tab, I was amazed of all the ordeals this church went through*
-> Burned in 1603 and reconstructed again in 1613.
-> Damaged slightly by an earthquake in 1645, and reconstructed on the same year.
-> Destroyed by an earthquake in 1863, and finally made into a magnificent neo-gothic architecture by Feliz Roxas in 1867.
-> Torn down for one last time by the Japanese bombing in 1941.
Finally, rebuilt in 1952 to where it is standing now and inaugurated by Rufino J. Cardinal Santos in 1954.

It was declared as the “National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary” of the Philippine Hierarchy in 1954.
It currently houses the image of the Our Lady of La Naval, that is believed to hear prayers and do some miracles.

The church is one of the tallest and largest in the Philippines. The main altar has a mosaic of St. Dominic designed by Architect Jose Zaragoza. Galo Ocampo designed the stained glass windows. The mural in front was created by Francesco Riccardo Monti. (Source)